Lily-Blu Whitehurst received serious facial injuries when she was bitten by a dog in September 2021.
She was at a friend’s house when the family’s English bull terrier lunged at her.
Lily-Blue, 18, from Congleton, Cheshire, said: “I was sat on the sofa next to the owner. Their dog was lying across my lap. I moved forward because it was heavy and it just attacked.”
The bite fractured Lily-Blu’s nose and she needed 28 stitches.
She added: ”The bite was millimetres from my eyes. One cut was across my eyelid. I couldn’t open one of my eyes for about two weeks and my forehead swelled up. A year on, one eye still can’t fully close.”
Lily-Blu, who missed two and a half months of school after the attack, said: ”I was four months off turning 18. I was going out and it was awful. Because I didn’t look the same any more.
“I think it will continue to have an effect on me for the rest of my life.”
The owner of the dog was fined £700 and the animal now has to wear a muzzle outside and sit in a cage when there are visitors.
Lily-Blu has two pet dogs, including Buster, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
She said: “I know how to act around dogs. I’ve had dogs all my life. It’s helped me to realise that not all dogs are like that.”
Lily-Blu recalled the horror as a new investigation claimed dog attacks in England and Wales have risen by more than a third in the past five years.
A report by the BBC found a 34% rise in incidents recorded by police.
But the UK’s dog population has risen by only 15% in that time.
There were nearly 22,000 cases of out-of-control dogs causing injury last year. In 2018, there were just over 16,000.
Dogs which cause death or injury to a person or an assistance dog must be recorded by police.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) says officers are focusing on attacks and more animals are being removed from their owners.
Nearly 3,500 dogs were seized in 2022 across 33 force areas - up 36% from 2018.
Most are because the animals are said to be “out of control”.
Paul Jameson, a specialist dog legislation officer for South Yorkshire Police, said there has been an increase in dog numbers since Covid.
“It’s busier than we’ve ever known” he said.
“Having seen the effects of these dog attacks, I make no apology for seizing dogs where there is a risk.”
There have been two fatal dog attacks so far this year.
Dog walker Natasha Johnston, 28, was mauled to death at Caterham in Surrey in January.
And in the same month Alice Stones, four, was savaged at her home in Milton Keynes, Bucks.
Dr Rachel Casey, director of canine behaviour and research at the animal welfare charity, Dogs Trust, said dog aggression normally happens because of anxiety or worry.
“Their ears might go back and their body posture changes. Owners need to be able to identify these signs” she said.
And she added if someone wants to get a dog, they should get one that suits their lifestyle rather than just because they like a particular breed.
Deputy Chief Constable Robert Carden from the NPCC said: “Incidents can often be very alarming, but I want to reassure people that we are taking the matter seriously and we are cracking down on those who own or breed dangerous dogs.”
The Mirror has been campaigning for changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act.
Last October we revealed there were 7,790 dog attacks from January to July in 2020 and 9,834 for the same period in 2022, a 26% increase.
The Mirror’s demands
1. The overhaul of the Dangerous Dogs Act. An urgent review of the law is needed and tougher penalties should be considered.
2. Bring in a new law requiring owners to register certain breeds of dogs which could be potentially dangerous. Similar laws exist in France and Austria.
3. Anyone wanting to own a potentially dangerous dog breed should attend a training course and the dog should be assessed for its behaviour.
